How can you create an effective online help system?

1 Identify your audience

Before you start writing your online help content, you need to understand who your audience is and what they need from your help system. You can use various methods to research your audience, such as surveys, interviews, personas, scenarios, and user testing. By identifying your audience, you can tailor your content to their goals, preferences, skills, and challenges. You can also use the information to create a consistent tone, style, and voice for your help system.

2 Organize your content

The next step is to organize your content in a logical and intuitive way. You can use different techniques to structure your content, such as chunking, grouping, labeling, and sequencing. Chunking means breaking down your content into small and manageable units that are easy to read and understand. Grouping means arranging your content into categories and subcategories that are relevant and meaningful to your audience. Labeling means using clear and descriptive titles, headings, and keywords that help your audience find and navigate your content. Sequencing means ordering your content according to the user's tasks, needs, or expectations.

3 Write your content

Once you have organized your content, you can start writing it in a clear, concise, and accurate way. You can use various guidelines to improve your writing quality, such as using active voice, avoiding jargon, using examples and screenshots, and following grammar and punctuation rules. You can also use different formats and elements to enhance your content, such as tables, lists, diagrams, videos, and links. You should also consider the accessibility and usability of your content, such as using headings, labels, alt text, and captions.

4 Design your interface

The interface of your online help system is the visual and interactive part that your audience sees and uses. You should design your interface in a way that is attractive, consistent, and responsive. You can use various principles and standards to design your interface, such as color, contrast, alignment, balance, and hierarchy. You should also use different features and functions to improve your interface, such as menus, buttons, icons, search boxes, and feedback. You should also test your interface on different devices, browsers, and screen sizes.

5 Evaluate your system

The final step is to evaluate your online help system and measure its effectiveness. You can use various methods and tools to evaluate your system, such as analytics, feedback, ratings, and reviews. You can also use different criteria and metrics to evaluate your system, such as usability, user satisfaction, performance, and quality. By evaluating your system, you can identify its strengths and weaknesses and make improvements accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?